Goodwood Motor Circuit

About the circuit

The Goodwood Motor Circuit is one of the most famous circuits in the United Kingdom and well known across the world, due in part to the two main events that are held at the each year, the Members' Meeting and the Revival (the famous Festival of Speed is held at Goodwood House, not the Motor Circuit). The Members' Meeting usually takes place at the beginning of the 'season' in April, whereas the Revival tends to take place in September and often signals the end of the summer and motoring calendar. Significantly, it is the only circuit in the world to remain in its original form.

Prior to becoming a circuit, the area now known as the Goodwood Motor Circuit was originally an RAF base, named RAF Westhampnett, and was used throughout the war. After the war had ended and acting on a suggestion from a friend, the 9th Duke of Richmond, Freddie March, decided to convert the outer perimeter road of the airfield into a track and so in 1948 Goodwood officially opened, with the then Duke opening Goodwood Motor Circuit driving a Bristol 400. Originally opening in September of 1948, the first event to take place at Goodwood was also the first post-war motor race to be held at a permanent venue. However, in 1966 the gates of Goodwood shut to motor racing, despite this testing continued to take place at the venue, as well as track days, which still occur to this day.

On the 18th of September 1998, the Goodwood Motor Circuit was re-opened following an extensive restoration of the track, to preserve the history of Goodwood and enable the circuit to look as it did when it was first opened. Following the work, the grandson of Freddie March, re-opened the circuit in the exact same Bristol 400 that his grandfather had used to first open the track.